Natalie Portman Shoots Down Star Wars 9 Rumor About Padme’s Return

Star Wars is arguably the biggest franchise in movie history, and it's one that is still releasing new installments. When Disney acquired Lucasfilm, the House of Mouse began turning out blockbusters, with J.J. Abrams beginning a new trilogy with The Force Awakens. Now Abrams is getting back behind the director's chair, helming the still untitled Episode IX and completing the story he began.

The contents of Episode IX are a complete mystery, as the blockbuster is still a year away from being released. As such, there are plenty of rumors swirling around about the project, especially since The Last Jedi made it clear that the franchise was pulling no punches when it comes to plot twists. One rumor was that Natalie Portman's Padme Admidala would be making an appearance, but she's shut that down, recently saying:

I don't know anything about that. I'm guessing that's not true, because I don't know about it yet.

Well, that's certainly honest. Natalie Portman has no plans to return to her Star Wars role. And while some fans may hope she'll make an appearance in Episode IX as the Skywalker Saga comes to a close, that's just a rumor for now.

Natalie Portman's comments to AM2DM may disappoint some hardcore Star Wars fans, who are hoping Episode IX is a grand sendoff to the last nine movies. Padme Amidala was the female lead of the prequel trilogy, and had quite the long journey in her years in the galaxy. But Portman seems to have largely left the role behind her, and it doesn't look like J.J. Abrams crafted a story that required her for the next blockbuster.

Despite having a long career after Star Wars that has earned her an Oscar, Natalie Portman is still constantly fielding questions about the galaxy far, far away. With the beloved property once again at the top of pop culture, the fandom wants any tidbits from the set of possibilities that the former Queen of Naboo could pop back up in one of the myriad Star Wars projects coming down the line.

Natalie Portman seems largely disinterested in Star Wars, but her children are fans just like the rest of us. As such, she revealed that her Annihilation co-star Oscar Isaac scored her a set visit for The Last Jedi. Considering how tight the security on the Star Wars franchise is, this is a major accomplishment.

While we shouldn't expect Padme Amidala to pop up in Episode IX, J.J. Abrams has assembled an impressive cast. This includes the return of Luke Skywalker, as well as General Leia thanks to extra footage from the past two movies.

All will be revealed when Episode IX arrives in theaters on December 20th, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Double majored in theater and literature during undergrad. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his famous actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid.